Wheel-bearing for vehicles.



G. W. KENBASTER.

WHEEL BEARING FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEU. 21, 1909. .RENEWED JAN. 20, 1912.

1,029,690, Patented June 18, 1912.

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GEORGE W. KENEAS'IER, OF GAGE, OKLAHOMA.

WHEEL-BEARING FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 18, 1912.

Application filed December 21, `1909, Serial No. 534,286. RenewedJanuary 20, 1912. Serial No. 672,477.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it lrnown that I, GEORGE W. KEN- EASTER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Gage, in the county of Ellis and State of Oklahoma,have invented a new and useful VVVheel-Bearing for Vehicles, of whichthejfollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to bearings for vehicle wheels and its principalobject is to provide a bearing of this type which is located entirelyWithin the axle of the vehicle and which includes a novel form of thrustbearing whereby lateral displacement of the wheel relative to the axleis prevented.4

A still further object is to provide a combined lrey and anti-frictiondevice for holding the parts of the bearings properly assembled.

A still further object is to provide a bearing which is durable andcompact in construction and all parts of which are concealed within theaxle.

`With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter morefully described and pointed out in the claims.

1n the accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention havebeen shown.

1n said drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a portionof an axle and showing the bearing in elevation. Fig.`

2 is a similar view showing the bearing in section. Fig. 3 is anelevation of a modified form of spindle. Fig. 4 is a similar view ofanother modified form of spindle.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the hubof a wheel, the central portion thereof being fixedly secured tothethreaded end 2 of a spindle 3. The opposite end portion of the spindleis reduced inv diameter as indicated at- 1 and has a screw threaded stud5 extending from the center of the end thereof. An annular groove 6 isformedwithin the spindle at a point between the threaded portion 2 andthe reduced portion 1 and this groove constitutes the race of a seriesof anti-friction rollers 7. Another annular groove 8 is formed in thereduced portion t of the spindle and constitutes the race for a seriesof balls 9.

The axle 10 with which the bearing is employed is preferably tubular andhas its end interiorly screw-threaded. This threaded portion of the axlesurrounds and engages ythe exteriorly screw threaded portion of a `thisplug being provided with a recess 14.- in

its outer end. A ball 15 is seated within this recess and bears againsta nut 16 which is screwed onto the stud 5, said nut having a recess 17constituting a seat for the ball. That end of the nut adjoining the endof the spindle 3 is reduced annularly as shown at 18 so as to receive aball 19.

If preferred, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the thread within the axle10 may be cut away adjacent the reduced annular portion 18 so as topresent a smooth surface to the ball 19.

In assembling the parts of the bearing herein described the plug 13 isscrewed into the axle until the distance between it and the end of theaxle is suliicient to receive the remaining portions of the bearing. Therollers 7 are then placed' in the race 6 and the ba1ls'9 are-placed inthe race 8 after Vwhich sleeve 11 is placed upon the spindle and servesto hold the anti-friction devices in the races. Nut 1G is then screwedonto the stud 5. The sleeve,spindle and nut are lsubsequently insertedinto the axle, the ball '"19 being placed in the groove 18 before saidgroove passes into the axle. Ball 15 is also interposed betweenthe plug13 and the nut 1G before said nut is inserted into the axle. After theparts have thus been assembled the sleeve 11 is screwed into the axleuntil the ball 15 becomes seated within both recesses 141 and 17 andthus acts as a thrust bearing. Vhen the wheel hub rotates, the spindleturns with it and the anti-friction devices 7 and 9 obviously reducefriction to theininiinum. Ball 15 `takes up the thrust exerted bythe'spindle in the direction of the center of the axle and withdrawal ofthe spindle from the axle is prevented by the nut 16, which bearsagainst the ball 19 interposed between the nut 16 and the end of sleeve11.

In order to remove the parts it is of course necessary to first unscrewthe sleeve 11. Obviously should the axle be solid except at its -endswhere the bearings are located, it would be unnecessary to utilize plugs13.

1f preferred, and as shown in Fig. 3, balls may be used exclusively asanti-friction devices in which event two races are preferablysubstituted for the race 6, asshown at 20. Also, if desired, two races21 can be provided instead of a single race 8. Under some conditions itis desirable to dispense altogether with the anti-friction devices andin Fig. 4 a spindle has been shown which is free of races such as havebeen discloseda in Figs, 2 and 3. In all forms of the bearing, however,the thrust ball 15 and the combined key and thrust ball 19 are to beutilized.

It is to be understood that any preferred means may be employed forprotecting the open end of the bearing from dust.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the hub has been shown provided with an annular flangeor band 22 surrounding the large end of a flexible frusto-conical shield23, the small end of which extends around the sleeve 11 and laps theenlargement or head 12.

It is to be understood of course that various means may be employed forfacilitating the placing of balls within the races. For example, and asshown in the drawings, an opening 24 may be formed in the upper portionof the axle and another opening 25 may be formed within the sleeve 11,the diameters of the two openings being slightly greater than that ofthe anti-,friction balls used in the bearing, Then the parts are beingassembled the race 8 in spindle 4 moves into register with the opening25 and, while it is in this position, the balls 9 can be dropped intothe race through said opening. After the spindle has been moved entirelyinto the sleeve the race will pass from under the opening 25 anddisplacement of the balls 9 will therefore be prevented. When the sleeveis subsequently inserted into the axle the ball 19 can be dropped intogroove 18 through the opening 24 as soon as said groove is brought intoregister with the openings. This groove moves from under the opening 24during the further inward adjustment of the sleeve and said opening 24:'can then be closed by means of a screw plug 26. An opening 27 may beformed in the head of the sleeve, this opening being normally closed bymeans of a screw plug 28 and constituting means wherebyantifrictionballs may be dropped into the Vraces 20 when a spindle suchas shown in Fig. 3 is employed.

Different changes may/of course be made in the construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the in- 'vention as defined in theappended claims.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with an axle having a tubular endportion, of a sleeve removably mounted within said end portion a spindlemounted for rotation `within the sleeve, an element detachably engagingthe" spindle and interposedbetween the sleeve and the inner end of saidtubular portion of the axle, a thrust bearing for said element, and acombined key and thrust bearing movably mounted between the sleeve andelement.

2. rfhe combination with an axle having 'a tubular YYend portion, of asleeve removably mounted within said end portion, a spindle `mounted forrotation within the sleeve, an

element removably engaging o-ne end of the spindle and interposedbetween the sleeve and the inner end of the tubular portion of the axle,said element having an annularly reduced end, a thrust bearing for saidelement, and a ball movably mounted within the axle and Vbetween saidreduced portion and the end of the sleeve, said ball constituting acombined thrust bearing and retaining key.

3. The combination with an axle having a tubular end portion, of asleeve removably mounted within said end portion and normally fixedrelative thereto, a spindle having one end portion for lixedly engaginga wheel, said spindle being mounted for rotation within the sleeve, anelement detachably engaging the spindle and interposed between thesleeve and t-he inner end of the tubular portion of the axle, a combinedthrust bearing and retaining key interposed between said sleeve andelement, and a ball' interposed between said inner end and said elementand constituting a thrust bearing, there being seats for the ball withinsaid end and in the element.

4L. The combination with an axle having a tubular end4 portion and ascrew plug within said end portion said plug having a recess, of asleeve removably mounted within said end portion of the axle, a spindlehaving one end portion adapted to fixedly engage a plug and nut andconstituting a thrust bear# ing for the nut and spindle.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afxedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. KENEASTER.

Witnesses:

C. E. DoYLn, C. E. PREINKERT.

Washington, D. C.

'Copies of'A this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, byaddressngthe Commissioner of Patents, y y

